Religious icons shouldn't be treated trivially

TODAY'S DILEMMA: Should religious figures, such as Jesus Christ, be used to promote nonreligious causes?

THE DEBATE: 'Hi, Jesus here."

"I'd like to invite you down to my good buddy Pete's Fish Emporium. He's got a whale of a deal for you: Buy a few fishes and get enough to feed a whole crowd for free.

"And while we're talking, I'd like to encourage you to get out and vote this weekend, and remember, I back the GOP - that's God's Own Party."

If the thought of Jesus Christ hawking products or pushing causes makes you a little queasy, then you're not alone.

Very few people seem to think it's appropriate to invoke the name of the Almighty when it comes to nonreligious causes.

"How dare you even think of it!" said Pam Bernard of Amarillo. "He is the Christian symbol. How dare you even think of using him in a nonreligious cause. He is the cause of all Christians."

"Absolutely not!" said Mary Crump of Friona.

The brouhaha arose from a recent billboard that appeared in Amarillo that was sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The billboard, which featured a depiction of Jesus Christ with an orange slice for a halo, carried the caption, "Jesus was a vegetarian: Show respect for God's creatures - follow him."

Here in the middle of beef country, that message didn't go over very well, but looming behind the message was the use of Christ's image to promote a political cause, although some argue that eating animals is an ethical and moral issue.

J. Alan Ford, pastor of Southwest Baptist Church, thinks the question is one of freedom of speech.

"So long as you don't violate community standards, such as by the use of pornography, you should not be restricted; however, there is the question of civility and good taste."

Ford cited the recent billboard as an example of "something done in poor taste. It wasn't even true since the body of scriptural evidence supports the opposite," he said.

"However, while the advertisement was in poor taste, the organization had a right to display it. Those same free-speech protections allow ministers to get in the pulpit and preach without fear of being censored. But just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it."

That's a pretty understanding attitude, and a good one. Obviously, there should be no government effort to prevent such usage of religious symbols. We can only hope that good taste will abound, which probably means we're doomed.

Don Curphey, chairman emeritus of McCormick Advertising, said, "at best, using religious figures in advertising is a dubious practice. If it's not unethical, it's stupid at best. Such an ad is certain to offend that segment of the population who reveres the figure. Religious icons should not be treated trivially for advertising purposes. It's demagoguery and certainly not appropriate in an ad or anywhere else."

However, Janet Boyd of Amarillo said we use religious figures and events like that all the time.

Boyd mailed a number of clippings taken from the Globe-News of different businesses promoting Easter specials ranging from Easter brunch specials to furniture and clothing sales. While not specifically using the image of Jesus, the ads did tie themselves to a religious holiday. Perhaps we accept such promotions during Easter and Christmas because both holidays have distinctively nonreligious elements as well - namely the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

"I think Jesus should be in everything that's promoted - religious or nonreligious items or anything else, and I think there's not enough of it on TV," Boyd said. "I think that they should put as many religious characters in things as they possibly can."

Frankly, it takes a lot of gall to use God to peddle your position. Whether you believe in Mohammed or Buddha or Jesus Christ, the idea of putting words into their mouths ought to raise a red ethical flag somewhere in the back of your mind.

Christians are expected to seek God's will, not the other way around.

If you want to tempt God's wrath, go ahead. You might want to have a little more respect, though.

Dorsey Wilmarth is the assistant managing editor of the Amarillo Globe-News. This column reflects the views of the readers and experts cited, as well as those of the author. The column does not necessarily reflect the views of the Amarillo Globe-News. Globe-News Business Writer Richard Williams contributed to this report.